I don't even know where to begin with this book. I feel that what I read was truly a piece of poetry. When this book was recommended to me I was most interested because much of the setting is in places I know, Boston, Cambridge, NYC, and because I like reading immigration narratives. But what I most took with me from this novel is a story about how people grow both closer and further away from their parents and how their parents affect and permeate every facet of our lives without ever realizing it. I also very closely identified with the main character Gogol's struggles with identity and relationships. I particularly enjoyed the way the author changed perspectives so the reader could see inside the minds of most of the characters at their most private moments, especially when we see inside of the mind of Gogol's bride. I understood and sympathized with her own struggle for autonomy. The author's style and word choice is very deliberate, much like her characters. Highly recommended.